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Education

This glossary includes terms and abbreviations likely to be found on this site and in associated educational and training publications. Where a term has a broader general meaning, the definition given here refers to its use in the vocational education and training context.

A policy or set of strategies to make vocational education and training available to all members of the community, to increase participation, and to improve outcomes - particularly focussing on those groups that have been traditionally under-represented, including: women, indigenous Australians, people with a disability, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, and people from rural and remote areas.

A preparatory, prevocational or bridging course that prepares students for further study or training. Access courses are offered particularly for immigrants, overseas students, and adults who are seeking to re-enter the workforce.

Also called New Apprenticeships Access Program. A program providing pre-apprenticeship and pre-traineeship training for people who are registered as unemployed and are disadvantaged in the labour market, needing preliminary training before they can successfully participate in an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Education of adults; education programs designed for adults, often incorporating approaches to education that draw on the learners life or work experiences, involve learners in planning the learning activities and encourage learning in groups, as well as more self-directed learning.

(ALNARC - http://www.staff.vu.edu.au/alnarc) The Adult Literacy and Numeracy Australian Research Consortium represents a national collaboration between five university-based research centres, based on a collaborative research management model designed to respond to state-based needs.

E ducation programs that aim to assist adult immigrants and refugees in their settlement in Australia , including English language and literacy programs. See also Adult Migrant English Program and Advanced English for Migrants Program.

(AMEP) An education and settlement program funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for new immigrants and refugees, providing English language teaching, counselling and support services.

(AMES - New South Wales and Tasmania) A provider of English language and literacy programs and related services, including workplace training programs and consultancies for newly-arrived immigrants, job seekers, workplace clients and youth.

(AEMP) A government program assisting immigrant jobseekers to obtain employment and overcome individual barriers to participation in vocational education and training by providing advanced English language training, generally with a vocational focus.

(Also called: status or credit recognition) Granted to a student on the basis of previous study (credit transfer) and/or experience (recognition of prior learning), exempting the student from a particular course, subject or module.

(In full, Australian Education Sharing Network) An online system managed by the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs for dealing with copyright issues in the vocational education and training sector.

The governing body of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), responsible for the organisations performance, as well as advising and providing support to the ANTA Ministerial Council (MINCO).

A committee that examined the implications of proposals before they were considered by the ANTA Board, and advised on those implications. CEOs also individually advised their Ministers and considered draft resolutions for the Ministerial Council. The ANTA CEOs Committee also worked to increase co-operation between State and Territory vocational education and training systems.

Research centres which were directly funded by the Australian National Training Authority - under the Key Vocational Education and Training Research Centres National Project - to undertake research and develop specialist expertise in designated areas, in order to inform vocational education and training policy.

(MINCO) A body comprised of the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for vocational education and training, that decides national policy, objectives and priorities for vocational education and training.

A system of training regulated by law or custom that combines on-the-job training and work experience while in paid employment with formal off-the-job training. The apprentice enters into a contract of training or training agreement with an employer that imposes mutual obligations on both parties. Traditionally, apprenticeships were in trade occupations (declared vocations) and were of four years duration. See also New Apprenticeships and Traineeships.

A body that approves apprenticeships and traineeships for the purposes of the Workplace Relations Act 1996, and determines the impact of training on productive time for apprenticeships and traineeships that are approved.

The arrangements that facilitate the movement or progression of students from one course to another, or from one education and training sector to another. See also Advanced standing, Credit, and Recognition of prior learning.

(Electronic classroom/Internet) Online asynchronous tools can be used to communicate anywhere and at any time. Asynchronous communication does not require users to be logged in simultaneously. Email and forums are forms of asynchronous communication. Compare with Synchronous communication.

The nature of a students attendance at an educational institution, including internal (undertaking all units of study on campus), external (undertaking all units of study off campus), or mixed-mode (a mixture of the two).

A systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining evidence to determine whether the activities and related outcomes of a training organisation comply with the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards for Registered Training Organisations.

The process by which a registered training organisation authorises industry or another training organisation to deliver training and/or conduct assessment. See also Conflict of interest and Present association.

(ACACA) The association of Chief Executive Officers of the eight State and Territory senior secondary certificate authorities. The purpose of the association is to promote curriculum, assessment and certification in schooling functions with special reference to senior secondary studies.

(ACTRAC) A former committee that co-ordinated development of national curricula for vocational education and training. ACTRAC amalgamated with the National Training Board (NTB) to form the Standards and Curriculum Council (SCC), which was later replaced by the Australian National Training Authoritys National Training Framework Committee.

(ACVETS) A committee that advised the ANTA Board on the collection and reporting of vocational education, and superseded National Advisory Committee on Vocational Education and Training Statistics (NACVETS), now called the National Training Statistics Committee (NTSC).

(AEI) An Australian Government initiative, working with the Australian education and training industry to promote the industry overseas and to advance the internationalisation of Australian education and training. Formerly the Australian International Education Foundation (AIEF).

A five-year, national collaborative program of the Commonwealth, States and Territories in conjunction with the Australian National Training Authority. The Framework identifies five complementary goals that seek to create and share knowledge about flexible learning, and to support its take-up in the vocational education and training sector. The goals are creative, capable people; supportive technological infrastructure; world-class online content development; applications and services; enabling policies; and problem-solving regulation.

On Friday 22nd October 2004, the Prime Minister announced that, from 1 July 2005, the responsibilities and functions of the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) would be transferred to the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

(AQFAB) The body responsible for promoting, guiding and monitoring implementation of the Australian Qualifications Framework and advising the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) on any required changes to the guidelines.

(AQTF) The nationally agreed recognition arrangements for the vocational education and training sector. The Australian Quality Training Framework is based on a quality assured approach to the registration of training organisations seeking to deliver training, assess competency outcomes and issue Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications and/or Statements of Attainment, and ensures the recognition of training providers and the Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications and Statements of Attainment they issue, across Australia.

(ARC) A body providing advice to the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs on national research priorities and the co-ordination of research policy, and making recommendations on the allocation of resources under a range of approved programs.

A set of awards presented annually to recognise and reward students, apprentices, trainees, employers, training providers and other organisations who have demonstrated high levels of achievement or best practice in vocational education and training.

(ATP) A publishing company and national clearinghouse for all national, crown-copyrighted training materials, including curriculum and non-endorsed components of training packages, as well as other associated training resources and learning materials. Formerly known as ACTRAC Products Ltd (APL).

(AVCTS) The competency-based vocational training system proposed in the Carmichael Report (1992). Superseded by the Australian Vocational Training System (AVTS), then Modern Australian Apprenticeship and Traineeship System (MAATS), and then by New Apprenticeships.